Ten posts about books in the Thousand Sketches project

Here are the 10 posts about books. Some posts are about more than one book. They often have a sketch of mine to go with them.

I bought, borrowed & read a hell of a lot more than that while doing the Thousand Sketches. But these are the ones I blogged. I loved them all.

Sometimes to get the the main book stuff you need to click “Read the rest of this item” that’s where I put images by other people.

From here on I am writing about the books I read on In this moment… and they are in a category called… Books. A vague new year resolution is to make more thorough reviews of each book. But who cares? The reviews on Amazon usually do all we need. Maybe I’ll just quote bits I like.

Lee Krasner

I am attracted to Lee Krasner’s work. I think it is her struggle, and how she is in Pollock’s shadow. True, any drip painting by Pollock shines, but behind that light I see the Krasner shadow. Her statements about art are ok too. I have an earlier sketch of her from a self portrait, this one is from a photo in the Hobbs book.

More art talk & images follow.

Continue reading “Lee Krasner”

Richard Diebenkorn

0730_diebenkorn_w

#0730 Richard Diebenkorn

A sketch from a photo in the book I am reading: The Art of Richard Diebenkorn. Great book. Reviews on Amazon say a lot, and say good things about this book.

I was struck by the Diebenkorn paintings in San Francisco – at the SFMoMA and at the De Young. I sneaked a picture. I will go on to say more about this artist & the Bay Area Figurative school. His work and a Matisse follow:

Continue reading “Richard Diebenkorn”

What I am reading, looking at…

Blogging on the Progressive Grounds in Bernal Heights. Lovely place.

Met with Eric Maisel here to talk over creativity coaching and such matters. I got some good tips for walks in New York. Art links:

Walter Benjamin
“The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” – On Josh’s recommendation.

John Molyneux with a post on Tracey Emin. Following on from a discussion about the YBA.

Emily Prince And More from Emily. We stayed with Emily in Alta.

The Creativity Coaching Association. Eric Maisel pointed me in that direction.

Books:

Amazon.com: The Art of Richard Diebenkorn (9780520212589 ...

Loved this artist at DeYoung

Josh’s recommendation.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51kMdpKJjFL._SX320_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Just looked like it explored well the life drawing I have been doing. And found an old edition hardcover one of this across the road in the Red Hill Bookshop.

Which I was recommended at the San Francisco drawing group, and browsed art Emily & Shawn’s.

Been sketching here too.

The Journey

#513 The Journey
Larger Image.

11″ x 8.5″ image on 13″ x 19″ archival matte paper.

I read that Piet Mondrian, best known for his stark abstracts also painted flowers. They were never shown together. It would look good to see a small selection of my sketches, unified in style, printed out and framed.

In Eric Maisel’s A Writer’s San Francisco here (p.117) he is talking about some writers who have too many ideas:

Each wanted to make a something like a tapestry, only not a tapestry, or something like a book, only not a book, or something like pure process, whatever that might mean, or something like a gallery show, or an eventor a performance or… I knew what they were saying, I have a soul, and it is bursting.” I had to tell them both “You must choose.”

I’ll choose a style & a real media to work in later this year, I am looking forward to it, it might be oils on large boards with pallet pallet knife. First I will get to the 1000 sketches, focus, complete a project that still seems highly worthwhile, a necessary preliminary.

Amid the chaos I have been choosing. One way to see something more unified is to look at categories. Try Dreams for instance. I have a small set that includes this Journey sketch. I am calling it InsideOut , they express inner energy, and they are mostly digital oil. What do you think?

InsideOut Slideshow

What do you chose? Which ones hang together in your gallery? I’d be interested to hear. To browse older sketches you can use the thumbnails.

Meditation

#504 Meditation
Larger Image.

11″ x 8.5″ image on 13″ x 19″ archival matte paper.

I am reading Eric Maisel’s “A Writer’s San Francisco” Here is a quote from p 110

Isn’t writing sketching everyday the best sitting meditation?”

I am substituting sketching for writing is I read the book. I will be in San Francisco in a month or so, and reading Eric Maisel’s book is a great preparation.

See earlier post about this book.

Vonnegut – the prints

#485 Kurt Vonnegut
Larger Image.

11″ x 8.5″ image on 13″ x 19″ archival matte paper.

I am reading Bluebeard – a novel and also a profound commentary on art. I will add art quotes here as I go.

The interesting thing is that Kurt Vonnegut is also a print producer, I say is, because new work is coming out posthumously through his screen printer collaborator.

Links:

www.vonnegut.com

Kurt Vonnegut, Novelist Who Caught the Imagination of His Age, Is Dead at 84: New York Times

Wikipedia

Continue reading “Vonnegut – the prints”

Bill

#437 Bill
Larger Image.

Another in my series from the Kill Bill movie.

It seems fun to do images from movies, I was tempted to do some from “Taxi Driver” which I saw for the first time & quite enjoyed, but wanted to return to the Kill Bill series for sake of fullness & completion (loaded words I notice as I write this … as will be evident in a post still to come – see image #450)

As I post this, but days after I sketched this sketch, I am reading Matthew Collings “This is Modern Art”, an entry about Elizabeth Peyton. She paints images of “The Stars” she says:

I like people who are glamorous because they’re wilful & talented & they can make beautiful things. I think that is what gives them a very special beauty.”

In so far as I do “stars” both from the movies & artists (as does Elizabeth Peyton) there is some agreement with her, but for me it is more about “Truth” than beauty. By the time the image reaches Thousand Sketches it has been in the hands of all the people you see on the credits of the movie, it is a social collaboration, and then I take a picture, and then I select an image from the 100s I take, and then I sketch & delete & select again. I think this is a form of mythologising, of distilling, of searching for the archetypal.

~

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